European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 30, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse A amps photos by Dave Didio the onetime at Lavenham airfields now a Only a deserted Hulk homing 1 above the surrounding Suffolk Farmland. A memories linger at abandoned Wii Vav a a a Vav is bomber base by Dave dido staff photographer England summer 1944, the Early morning Sun winks vat the treetops As it slips Between Cottony Tufts of Clouds and a warm gentle Breeze Ripples across the Meadow. Playing tag with the butterflies that flit among the Tail Blades of grass. A. But inside the. Cd Cupit of the b-17, it already feels like a Sauna. You just sit there in the heat engines snorting and growling and popping and you stare at the Trees Ona the other end of the runway a Skinny slab of Concrete that looks a whole lot Shorter than the mile and a Quarter it s supposed to tanks Are filled to the 2,780 Gallons of v fuel a every drop that the Bird will hold a a and you re carrying so Many explosives in the belly of the beast that a you re 3 tons Over Takeoff weight _ there is a nag gig thought that maybe this is the Day the tired old crate just won t make it off the ground. And a it s obvious from the look on the co Pilot s face that he s thinking the same thing a 2,70 Gallons of fuel a Short a a runway and All that extra weight. And you just can t take your eyes off those Trees 1 brother you be got the "2780 blues suddenly the Windshield is bathed in a blinding Green Light from the control Tower. The rays Ricochet off your sunglasses and yank you Back to the Las Kat hand. Little beads of sweat join forces forming a Stream Hal trickles slowly Down the Cheeks from beneath the ear cups of your headphones. There is to turning Back now. Standing firm on the brakes you wrap your Clammy fingers around the control wheel and shove the throttles to the firewall letting the engines wind up so lightly that it they sound like every nut and Bull is going to Fly right off them. _ the bomber shudders and shimmies and strains to break free and whim the brakes Are finally released instead of lurching a head t he thing just sort of waddles. Down the runway like a fat pregnant Duck. You re going Tob Aveto wish t ins thing into i he air. No Way ids Gonna make in on its own it takes a Good half mile just to get the Tail up and in continued on Page j m May 30, 1991 Stripe Maga ine3
